Local Ron Paul supporter experienced highs, lows of GOP convention

Longview's Samuel Webb was both exhilarated and disheartened while attending the Republic National Convention as an alternate delegate, but his commitment to Ron Paul and the "Liberty Movement" remains strong.

Webb, 35, was one of 10 Paul supporters who were part of Washington's 83-person delegation. Webb was the only delegate for any candidate from Cowlitz County.

He knew it was a long shot, but Webb still held out a slim hope that Paul might emerge as the Republican candidate for president as the result of a deadlocked or brokered convention. Webb also wanted to be sure that Paul's beliefs were represented.

Instead, Webb said what he found in Tampa last week was a highly scripted and controlled environment that didn't welcome dissent. Webb, like many Paul supporters, was outraged at rule changes that he said were approved against party policy and counter to the voice vote results. He also protested when party leaders replaced some Paul supporters in the Maine delegation, adding that national party leaders have stripped almost all power from the elected delegates.

Among his convention memorabilia is one of the yellow Grassroots signs that dissenters held up at various times throughout the convention. It reads "We are the Party," and Webb said that, while Paul doesn't plan to run again for president, the movement will continue.

"The torch has been passed," Webb said. "This isn't about Ron Paul anymore, it's about liberty and the grass roots and the people maintaining the power."

As an alternate delegate, Webb attended the entire convention but was only on the convention floor when his delegate partner was not. Webb got to take the floor during the roll call of state votes, which he said was exciting even though he was disappointed that votes for Pual weren't announced over the arena's loudspeakers as nominee Mitt Romney's were.

And while some panned actor Clint Eastwood's speech, Webb said he loved it because Eastwood criticized both President Obama and Republicans on foreign policy matters. "He was definitely liberty-minded," Webb said.

As for Romney, Webb won't be campaigning for him.

Make no mistake, Webb is not an Obama supporter -- he predicts an "economic crash and a moral crash" if Obama is re-elected. But he can't bring himself to campaign for Romney after the convention, even if some might say that's betraying the party.

Read more:

Local Ron Paul supporter experienced highs, lows of GOP convention